We've had a request to build an Opteron based server, and the client is very specific in wanting to use a 244 CPU with DDR400 support, which means version C0 (suffix AL) or later.

However, our trade suppliers only have the AH listed for 242/244 models if bought OEM, and for retail boxed there's absolutely no indication of what revision CPU one is going to end up with. At the moment we'd rather buy "retail" anyway, as we haven't yet tracked down a decent source of third party coolers.

So, is there some trick to finding out what revisions are available at the different speeds, and also what revision you'll actually end up with when you place an order? Obviously we don't want to keep buying CPUs until we hit lucky!

Having put the info in the public domain via the technical documentation one would have thought it would be a bit easier to find out the details when it comes to the purchasing stage We're getting more and more Opteron and AMD64 requests, and are very impressed with performance so far, but as our clients tend to be fairly tech-savvy this kind of hiccup can be a real killer.

If you're buying retail then you could always specify C0 revision in your order, that way if you're sent a non-C0 revision CPU you can dispute it with your supplier and hopefully they'll change it gratis.

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Final update in case anyone else has been reading this with the same problem.

I've now spent some time talking to our account managers at various UK trade distributors and all of them have said that when they order Opterons (particularly boxed, but also tray AFAICT) they don't the opportunity to specify the revision as a matter of course.

One of them has been very helpful and has agreed to work with us to ensure that we get the revision we want (or rather, the customer wants) but I think both we and they are expecting this to involve a few cycles of sending back what they send us because it's wrong. Still, we shall see.

It really does amaze me that information which could be crucial to a system is only available once you've got the product and opened the box, even at the trade level, let alone the high street. Oh well, so it goes.

QUOTE (PurpleSys @ Feb 24 2004, 11:47 PM) It really does amaze me that information which could be crucial to a system is only available once you've got the product and opened the box, even at the trade level, let alone the high street. Oh well, so it goes.

Cheers,

Pete At least one good point is that you do not have to open the box, really. You can read the stepping without destroying the package. Furthermore I think with 244 Opterons you are already quite secure to get a C0 revision. Because newegg begins listing C0 rev. with the x44 models.